Battle in the Imperial Palace
|conc= |next=*Battle of the Second NoHead Base |name=Battle in the Imperial Palace |image=Battle in Imperial Palace.jpg |conflict=*First NoHead War |date=2005 |place=Imperial Palace |result=*The First NoHead War resumes *The Gladiator severely injured *Imperial throne room damaged *Escape of Ronald Koda, Sheriff Bladepoint, Zett, Dexter, and Abalan *Reformation of the police |side1=*Police |side2=*NoHead Empire *Order of the NoHeads |forces1=*Abalan† *Ronald Koda *Laleh Clipso (While piloting the Shadow Laser) *Several Martian slaves |forces2=*Emperor Mr. Stupid NoHead *The Gladiator *Imperial Shadow GuardD.I.T. Website *Imperial Royal Guard *Imperial Defense Army *Imperial officers *Purge troopers *NoHead Robot Army **F-7 robot soldiers **NAT trooper **Heavy troopers **Flametroopers **F-8 robot soldiers *Imperial Gunners *N-54 skyfighterss *ARABs *1 AT-CT *4 HEADs *NoHead 65 skyfighters |casual1=*Several Martians |casual2=1 Shadow Guard *Several members of the Royal Guard *Many Imperial soldiers *1 AT-CT *All HEADs }} The Battle in the Imperial Palace was the final confrontation between the Dark mutant the Gladiator and his former apprentice, Abalan, occurred in 2005, at the dawn of the First NoHead War's continuation. Following the capture of the police officers in Japan, the apprentice was betrayed and left for dead by his master. In retaliation, Abalan re-embraced his Light side potential and pursued the Dark Lord to the Emperor's Palace, intending to save his new-found allies and — by extension — the police itself. Breaching the inner defenses of the Imperial Palace, the apprentice killed numerous robot soldiers and other Imperial soldiers before reaching the Imperial throne room where he confronted the Gladiator in single combat. In a contest of both skill and power, the Gladiator was ultimately bested and found himself at the mercy of his former apprentice. The Gladiator's own master, Mr. Stupid NoHead, not only praised Abalan's victory, but also attempted to hypnotically compel the apprentice into killing his grievously-damaged and defenseless master. In Abalan, NoHead saw the opportunity to replace his unofficial enforcer with a younger and more powerful disciple. Police officer Ronald Koda, one of the prisoners captured in Japan, sensed the Emperor's intentions, however, and tried to prevent the apprentice from falling to the allure of the dark side once more. The distraction worked to break NoHead's hold on Abalan, who then confronted the Dark Lord in defense of his friends. Refusing to allow the police to claim the apprentice's potential for their own gain, an enraged NoHead tried to kill Koda with lightning. Abalan protected his mentor by deflecting the energy, causing an explosion that feigned the deaths of him and the prisoners, thus allowing their escape. The police officers Sheriff Bladepoint, Zett, and Dexter — were evacuated from the Palace in the apprentice's aircraft, Shadow Laser, piloted by former Captain Laleh Clipso of the Imperial Navy. Together with Koda, the group formally declared the return of the police. In honor of their fallen leader's sacrifice, the new organization adopted Abalan's family crest as their emblem; a symbol of hope for those who yearned for the restoration of democracy. Mr. Stupid NoHead was irate upon the realization that the Empire would have to actually fight a war against an insurrection that was secretly masterminded by the NoHead Order — namely NoHead and the Gladiator through Abalan as their proxy. The Gladiator vowed to bring about the complete destruction of the newly-formed police, fearing that the police could potentially destroy the New Order that the NoHeads built after centuries of plotting the downfall of the police and the government. Prelude In 2005, several police officers — most notably Sheriff Bladepoint, Zett, and Dexter — determined that the NoHead Empire was irreversibly corrupt and ultimately illegitimate; a perversion of the governments established by Mr. Stupid NoHead in his desire to rule the universe through fear and control. Hence, they unanimously agreed to join a growing rebellion led by a mysterious mutant being known only as Abalan. Unknown to the rebellious officers, however, was that their leader was the secret NoHead apprentice of the Gladiator, the Supreme Leader of the Knights of Plague. The apprentice, believing that he and his NoHead Master would assassinate the Emperor once he was distracted by an army of insurrectionists, assembled the police officers in Japan where they planned to declare their return. Then a heavily-armed Imperial force arrived. Led by the Gladiator, a group of F6 war robots apprehended the officers, including Ronald Koda, as the Gladiator confronted his stunned apprentice. Shocked and embittered by the revelation that his master’s plot against the Emperor had been a ruse, Abalan realized that his only purpose in the Gladiator’s eyes was to gather the Emperor’s enemies in one location in order for the Empire to capture them all in one fell swoop. When the Gladiator moved to strike down the apprentice with his sword, he suddenly found himself confronted by the holobot WINDOW, disguised as Mr. Stupid NoHead. The duel was brief, however, and the Gladiator left both WINDOW and his former apprentice for dead. But Abalan survived and was rescued by Laleh Clipso, the pilot of the Shadow Laser. Burdened by guilt for manipulating the police and motivated by resentment over the Gladiator’s treachery, the apprentice renounced his allegiance to the NoHeads and the Dark side. As such, he reclaimed his former identity as the only son of the deceased Martian heroes Keeko and Allieano. In his first and last successful attempt to glimpse future events, the apprentice experienced a premonition that revealed the location of the police officers; the Gladiator had taken them to be personally executed by the Emperor in his palace. Abalan and Clipso arrived to retrieve the officers. Fearing that she would never see the apprentice another again, Clipso kissed Abalan before the latter dived into the Palace. The battle Shortly after landing in the Imperial Palace, the apprentice ambushed a patrol of F7 robot soldiers escorting a group of Martian slaves on the foyers. With the execution of the police prisoners imminent, the apprentice chose to free the slaves in exchange for the fastest route to the Emperor’s throne room. With the Imperials distracted by a slave revolt, a small band of Martians guided Abalan deeper into the palace, leading him into the direction to where his allies were held captive. Along the way, Abalan single-handedly destroyed an ARAB walker while the Martians fired their stolen X-11 rifles on the robots who converged on the scene. As another two walkers approached, Abalan ordered his allies to fallback. Three of the four Martians followed him; one had been killed in the firefight. Another Martian was fatally shot as they fell back, although the remaining two managed to regroup with the apprentice. After retreating to safe distance, the apprentice telekinetically triggered the downed ARAB to explode, expending all its stored munitions in a single blast. As a result, several more explosions occurred, destroying all of the robot soldiers in the area, along with the walkers and several N-54 fighters. Afterward, the two remaining Martians guided Abalan through an accessway and brought him within close distance to an exhaust port that would lead the apprentice to where he needed to go. After thanking them for their assistance, the apprentice proceeded alone. The apprentice soon reached the exhaust port, only to find it guarded by a full squadron of heavily-alert troopers, along with two laser cannons and several walkers. Using the Light to distract the soldiers, the apprentice killed both gunners before using one of the cannons to disable the nearest walker. While the guards scrambled for cover, the apprentice destroyed a second walker, and then a third one by the time reinforcements flooded the area from every direction. Before entering the exhaust port, he programmed the cannon to continue firing at random, thus covering his escape as several N-54 fighters converged on its location. As the apprentice continued on the path to the Emperor’s throne room, he encountered small groups of robot soldiers on several occasions, all of which were dispatched with ease. After dispatching another large Imperial force stationed inside a hangar, the apprentice entered a large laser tube where he realized it to be one of several components connected to the superstructure’s massive laser system. With the system being test-fired every few minutes, the apprentice had to take care not to get caught in the laser beam. He also had to disable four tractor beam reactor couplings to save Laleh Clipso and the Shadow Laser, as she ended up caught in the Palace’s tractor beams and unable to get out of range. Upon completing this, he also eliminated a squadron of N-54 Fighters by throwing explosive canisters at them telekinetically before narrowly evading a superlaser beam in one of the tunnels he dived into. After several treks, he eventually ended up in a massive ARAB hangar, where he took care of several Imperial forces, including a freshly deployed HEAD, before continuing on. Before the apprentice could enter the observation deck that contained the throne room, he was forced to contend with another large number of Imperial soldiers, consisting of robots, scout troopers, jumptroopers, Purge troopers, and two HEADs. Destroying all opposition in his path, the final obstacle in his path consisted of several members of the Imperial Royal Guard, led by a single Shadow Guard. After killing all of the guardsmen, the apprentice entered the hallway leading to the throne room, preparing for the final confrontation between himself and his former master. The fall of the Gladiator Immediately prior to the apprentice’s arrival, Mr. Stupid NoHead informed the imprisoned police leaders that he intended to execute them, although not before subjecting them to torture as a means of interrogation to glean information on any other allies and friends that the officers possess. When Bladepoint cited that the Emperor’s actions in killing them will only ferment more resistance, Mr. Stupid NoHead dismissed him, certain that their executions (which he promised will be public and very painful) will crush any form of dissent. Koda sensed Abalan’s arrival and mused that there may still be a true rebellion. The apprentice entered the throne room, surprising his captured allies and the two NoHeads. While he sensed the immense power of the Dark side within Mr. Stupid NoHead, it was the Gladiator alone who caught his full attention, causing the apprentice’s bitterness to turn into a desire for revenge. Even as the Emperor ordered the Gladiator to kill Abalan, the Dark Lord moved to confront his former student, intending to finish what he failed to do in Japan. Despite numerous sparing sessions and psychological battles in the past, Abalan was caught by surprise by the sheer severity of his master’s first attack. The apprentice was well familiar with the Gladiator’s refined form of Djem So, but the Dark Lord’s physical strength was powerful enough to jar his wrists and shoulders, nearly disarming him in the process. But whereas the Gladiator was strong and relentless, the apprentice was fast and agile. Taking a mostly defensive stance against his master’s brutal attacks, Abalan occasionally taunted the Gladiator in the hopes of breaking his concentration. At the same time, they both utilized telekinesis against one another, occasionally hurling missiles and other projectiles back and forth. For a time, neither could gain the advantage, despite their knowledge of mutantry or their skills with a sword. During their duel, the apprentice could not help but feel respect for his master’s fighting skills. When not holding back, the Gladiator employed nothing less than a lethal attack. Abalan also realized that he and the Gladiator finally had the opportunity to test their full potential against one another, given that their previous duels typically ended with the Gladiator restraining himself or the apprentice capitulating the fight. As the two continued to fight, Abalan declared that he goal was to kill the Gladiator, but only out of misguided pity rather than hatred. From the apprentice’s point of view, he and his master shared more in common than he initially considered. Both were made to suffer and submit to the Darkness by a NoHead Master. (In reality, the Gladiator idolized the Emperor and joined him willingly.) Refusing to be a slave of the NoHeads any longer, the apprentice vowed to free his former master by taking his life. The Gladiator redoubled the intensity of his attacks, but the apprentice counterattacked with a blast of lightning and broke his master’s momentum. The NoHead responded by trying to telekinetically choke Abalan, causing the apprentice to retaliate with a powerful push to the chest, sending the Gladiator backward across the observation dome. As the duel continued, Abalan steadily gained the advantage. the Gladiator tried to pull back, but his former apprentice intensified the frequency of his attacks to keep the Dark Lord on his back foot. It was then that the apprentice saw the opening that they had both waited for; and continually stabbed at his torso until the Gladiator’s defenses lapsed was too slow to block an attack to the torso, thus allowing the apprentice’s blade to slash across his armored throat. The Dark Lord staggered backward with his hand covering the wound, and was as surprised as the apprentice by the success of the attack. Feeling a mixture of anger and triumph, Abalan went on the offensive in an attempt to capitalize on his gain. His master’s defenses quickly weakened, allowing the apprentice to cut a deep wound across the Gladiator’s shoulder and another into his thigh. In spite of his refusal to accept defeat, the Gladiator was no longer capable of maintaining the fight. The apprentice telekinetically ripped the evildoer’s sword away from his hand and used the Light to raise him in the air. A barrage of missiles under the apprentice’s control attacked the Gladiator from every corner of the room; each hit was stronger than the last. Then the apprentice hurled an energy field generator at his master, causing an explosion that the Dark Lord just barely survived. Abalan's decision Moments after the blast, the apprentice emerged unscathed to discover that the fight was over. The Gladiator lay gravely injured; his armor heavily damaged. With the Gladiator defeated and held at the mercy of his apprentice, the Emperor emerged and reached out through the Darkness to Abalan. Acknowledging the fact that Abalan was a far more powerful asset than the Gladiator, Mr. Stupid NoHead encouraged the apprentice to claim his revenge by striking his former master down in anger. As the Emperor’s hypnotic suggestion flowed through the apprentice, Abalan began to seriously consider NoHead’s offer. The temptation of the dark side’s allure not withstanding, there was a side to the apprentice that yearned to seize the title and position of a true NoHead. Before he could make a decision, however, Ronald Koda charged at the Emperor in an attempt to prevent the apprentice’s return to the dark side. Using the Light side to steal the Emperor’s sword, Koda killed several Imperial Guards before attempting to kill Mr. Stupid NoHead with the Dark Lord’s own weapon. In response, NoHead unleashed a barrage of lightning on Koda. The General’s interference broke the Emperor’s hold over Abalan, who ultimately realized that he no longer wanted anything to do with the dark side, especially after seeing the effects it had on people. Having made his choice to remain with the police, Abalan moved to attack the Emperor, but only to defend his friends. Escape The apprentice broke off the Emperor’s attack on Koda by hurling pieces of broken transparisteel and debris at him. As Abalan approached him, Mr. Stupid NoHead praised the apprentice and urged him to embrace the dark side once more — this time by killing him. With Koda’s help, the apprentice restrained himself from striking the Emperor down in anger. Before they could escape to safety, Mr. Stupid NoHead attacked Koda with lightning once more in a final attempt to prevent Abalan from joining the police. Before Mr. Stupid NoHead could kill Koda, Abalan moved in front of the lightning, causing him to absorb the energy and redirect it back to its source. For a moment, both the Emperor and the apprentice were locked in an exchange of lightning and as a result, experienced excruciating pain. As the police retreated into the Shadow Laser, a squadron of robot soldiers converged on the scene and attempted to prevent the prisoners’ escape. Their efforts were thwarted by Abalan, who released a massive shock wave of energy from his own body. By the time the Shadow Laser escaped to safety with the police on board, the explosion had engulfed most of the observation deck. Although every robot within proximity of the blast was killed, NoHead and the Gladiator both survived the explosion and began searching the wreckage until they found what they believed to be Abalan’s remains. In reality, Abalan had Disapparated. Neither of the two NoHeads were pleased by the results of the battle. In addition to the Emperor’s failure to recruit and train Abalan, Mr. Stupid NoHead believed that the apprentice’s actions would inspire the police to wage a full-scale international war against the Empire. Although he planned to leave the Order, the Gladiator vowed to exterminate his master’s enemies before the fledgling police could overthrow the NoHead regime. Aftermath In the wake of Abalan’s death, the police officers reconvened on Mars, the birth place of the Gladiator’s fallen apprentice. Within the former hut of Abalan’s family, the officers — Sheriff Bladepoint, Roxanne Waterston, Zett, and Dexter — agreed to combine their resources in order to recreate the Police Grand Army. Ronald Koda, who had acknowledged to Laleh Clipso that the apprentice became one with the Force, brought the former Imperial Captain to view the official emblem that the Alliance’s founders had chosen for their new organization; Abalan’s family crest, proposed by Roxanne in memory of the apprentice and his sacrifice for the police. Afterwards, Abalan went into hiding along with Laleh Clipso. Eventually, he found dwelling with a female adolescent named Annabeth and her parents. He and Annabeth deeply bonded during this time together. In 2012, Mr. Stupid NoHead recruited Annabeth to the NoHead cause, pairing her with Abalan for her first mission. The only reason Abalan agreed is that he believed this may be his last mission, and he knew that this was Annabeth’s destiny, and chose not to prolong it. Having made his decision, Abalan joined the aspiring NoHead on a shuttle and they flew to Kansas. Touching down on the surface, Abalan, Annabeth, and their robot soldiers rushed out. Amid the ensuing fighting, Annabeth waved Abalan forward. Ultimately, the police managed to escape, but Abalan and Annabeth’s search would not be thwarted for long. Former Senator Finn Zame of Missouri, who had found refuge with Sheriff Bladepoint in San Antonio, was escaping with the officers. Abalan and Annabeth flew to Texas, killing Zame as Ronald Noace and the party of police survivors returned to Kansas. Abalan and Annabeth immediately traveled to that state in the Exactor, engaging in battle. At last only Olena Selby remained, and Annabeth ordered Abalan and his men to leave Selby to her. A new ship arrived next to the robots, though, with Ronald Noace arrived, though, telekinetically pulling one of the fallen officers’ swords to him. With it he decapitated Abalan. With his final thought centered on Laleh Clipso, Abalan died. Despite this, he transcended physical existence and his spirit went on in harmony. With Abalan dead, the Gladiator conceived a plot to create a new version of his late apprentice — one more powerful and obedient than the original Abalan. Utilizing the genetic material of Abalan’s preserved corpse, the Dark Lord attempted to create a clone who could take Abalan’s place as the Gladiator’s personal assassin. The various imperfections in the accelerated cloning process, combined with the inherent difficulty of cloning a mutant template, stalled the project for months and forced the Gladiator to repeat the procedure numerous times until the flaws could be corrected. The result was a series of failed copies, physically deformed and mentally deranged. The more stable versions were personally trained by the Gladiator, but ultimately failed to overcome the memory imprints that they inherited from their progenitor. One such clone escaped from Florida in 2014 after his creator judged him to be another failure. Despite the loss of the renegade clone, the project ultimately produced a single test subject who succeeded in his trials to become the Gladiator’s new apprentice. Behind the scenes Alternate ending In the alternate non-canon ending of this battle in The Life and Legends: The Gladiator, Abalan chooses to finish off the Gladiator, avenging the murder of his father, and the Gladiator’s two betrayals on himself. After another long battle, Abalan strips the Gladiator of his sword, as he did as a child, and impales him with it. Abalan then returns to the main platform, where the Emperor is standing over an injured Koda. He instructs the apprentice to kill Koda, and fulfill his destiny by giving himself to the dark side. Abalan draws his sword, ready to strike down the blind General Koda, but, instead, in a moment of regret, he tries to kill Mr. Stupid NoHead. However, NoHead immediately ignites his own saber, easily deflecting the attack, and declares that he had foreseen the attack and knew that Abalan would attempt to kill him. NoHead breaks their saber lock, lifts Abalan into the air, electrocuting him for a few moments before throwing him through a window out onto the landing platform, just as the Shadow Laser flies in to rescue the rebel leaders. Staggering on the ground, Abalan sees that Sheriff Bladepoint and the other police officers have already been killed. Mr. Stupid NoHead takes the opportunity to take the Shadow in his grasp and hurl it at Abalan. It is unknown — though likely — that Laleh Clipso was killed. Abalan wakes up on an operating table — one much like the one Sebiscuits would be laid to rest on, while his suit was constructed — to find that he now wearing his own suit of armor, presumably the only thing that is keeping him alive. The Emperor stands before him, saying he expected more from Abalan, and thought he could have one day become one of the greatest Dark mutants in the world, even his successor, but, now, Abalan will simply be his new servant, doing the Emperor’s bidding, until he is eventually cast aside, just as the Gladiator was. Abalan screams in agony as his suit is completed. The events that follow are chronicled in The Gladiator: Ultimate NoHead Edition. Appearances * Notes and references Imperial Palace Category:2005 events Category:Battles of Maryland Category:Duels Category:Battles of the International Police Hunt